Automotive vehicles, such as pickup trucks, are commonly employed with a cargo box or bed that may be used to transport various items. The vehicle cargo box typically has a tailgate which generally extends between the rear lateral walls and pivots about a hinge assembly near a lower edge of the tailgate between a closed position and an open position. In the open position, cargo may be easily loaded into and unloaded from the cargo box and the tailgate may be pivoted to the closed position to retain the cargo within the cargo box. It is desirable to ease the transition between the closed and open positions.